There’s a lot that goes into creating successful marketing events but one of the most important elements is your event materials. According to the 6th edition of the B2B Content Marketing Report, 75% of B2B content marketers consider event marketing to be their most effective strategy. Because, despite all the hype about online marketing, nothing can replace face-to-face human interaction.
But can event materials really be a driver in attracting attendees and impacting your results? Yes! The key is to look beyond the who, what, what, when and where. The look and feel of your event materials must set the tone and persuade potential attendees to give up one of their most precious resources: time. Whether it’s a trade show, seminar or awards dinner, your event materials are speaking for your brand before attendees even enter the room. What do you want them to say?
We’ve seen it before. Companies spend thousands of dollars on an amazing venue, great food, and compelling speakers but the event materials—leading up to the big day or on-site signage and promotions—fall flat. In some cases, limited budgets restrict pre-event marketing to digital channels, despite the fact that direct mail outperforms all digital channels combined by nearly 600%*.
In others cases, materials aren’t sent early or often enough, they fail to stand out or worse, they are produced poorly and do not appropriately reflect the caliber of the event. Whatever the situation, don’t underestimate the impact of event materials and how they influence lead generation, brand awareness or customer engagement goals.
One of our clients who understands this well is the Boston Chapter of the Society of Marketing Professionals Services or SMPS Boston. Shawmut recently helped them produce materials for their annual awards gala, which recognizes SMPS members for marketing campaigns across several categories. This year’s theme, appropriately reflected a hot topic on the minds of all marketers: Engagement.
SMPS Boston did a fantastic job developing a unique brand for the event and ensuring they had a consistent visual identity across all of their materials. In addition, we worked collaboratively with them to select paper stocks and add special print effects to their suite of materials. Everything from the invitations and name tags to the programs and menus were designed and produced to match the sophisticated tone of the event.
SMPS Boston Special Events Director, Andrea Lalinde was very pleased working with Shawmut on the awards gala:
“We had an amazing record-breaking event thanks to the elegant experience we were able to provide our guests from the invitation to the dinner menu.”
Working with an experienced vendor that can provide expert recommendations and advice is just as important as the event branding itself. You’ll also want to make sure they have the capabilities in-house to produce the variety of materials you’ll need. You may want to ask if they:
- Offer wide format printing for signage and display materials?
- Have in-house mailing experts and experience with direct mail?
- Are they able to help you with marketing and design services if necessary?
- Can they support variable data jobs so you can personalize invitations and other materials?
- Have experience creating sophisticated invitation packages and other event materials?
Finding a vendor that can support all your needs under one roof will help you avoid unnecessary delays or increased costs due to materials being sent to outside vendors. It is also important to establish a strong relationship with your print partner and be open to suggestions that can help take your materials to the next level. Working collaboratively with your partner will help ensure that your event branding is consistent and that the materials send the right message about your company.
*2015 Direct Marketing Association Direct Response Report
